I have 3 Blue Slates, 2 hens a tom , and also one wild turkey hen. Spring got here and I'd always had them in with my chickens, then the tom started fighting with my main rooster. It got bad, the only thing to do was to separate them. Now the turkeys have their own coop, separated from the chickens by fencing as you can see.
When I 1st separated them I locked them in the coop for a couple of days to get them used to their new home. That didn't work, before they ALWAYS went inside at night, now they NEVER go inside. It's still cold up here, still snowing, and when it rains, it's COLD, and I've had to go out several times and PUT them into the coop, didn't want them getting sick.
ANYWAY.............................the hens have started laying, don't know which ones, but they ARE laying, in the cold nasty mud, near the gate, where they insist on spending 99% of their time. I've put fresh straw and bedding in the coop, have nesting boxes in there too, and they are just "dropping" the eggs in the cold, nasty mud. I'd like to get some eggs and try to hatch them, I think after goodness only knows how long they've been laying in the mud that they have probably gotten too cold to even try to hatch.
Can anyone give me any suggestions of how to get my girls to lay in a nest or something similar? They will be a year old in July and I know turkeys lay eggs in nests, and even can get broody. These girls need some help, what can I do?????????????????????????????????????????
THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS!!
When I 1st separated them I locked them in the coop for a couple of days to get them used to their new home. That didn't work, before they ALWAYS went inside at night, now they NEVER go inside. It's still cold up here, still snowing, and when it rains, it's COLD, and I've had to go out several times and PUT them into the coop, didn't want them getting sick.
ANYWAY.............................the hens have started laying, don't know which ones, but they ARE laying, in the cold nasty mud, near the gate, where they insist on spending 99% of their time. I've put fresh straw and bedding in the coop, have nesting boxes in there too, and they are just "dropping" the eggs in the cold, nasty mud. I'd like to get some eggs and try to hatch them, I think after goodness only knows how long they've been laying in the mud that they have probably gotten too cold to even try to hatch.
Can anyone give me any suggestions of how to get my girls to lay in a nest or something similar? They will be a year old in July and I know turkeys lay eggs in nests, and even can get broody. These girls need some help, what can I do?????????????????????????????????????????
THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS!!
